103 agencies show-caused for poor hajj management

Religious Affairs Ministry has issued show cause notices to 103 hajj agencies for poor arrangement and renting hotels for hajis far away from the Kaba Sharif in Makkah last year. Star file photo

Staff Correspondent

The religious affairs ministry has issued a show-cause notice to 103 hajj agencies for poor arrangement of accomodation and transportation for hajj pilgrims in Makkah last year.

The respective agencies were given a seven-day deadline to explain why punitive and legal actions should not be taken against them in this regard.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Anisur Rahman, secretary at religious affairs ministry, said the Bangladesh Hajj Council office, during investigation, found that around 103 hajj agencies were involved in irregularities in arranging accommodations and transportation.

According to the hajj policy, the agencies will have to maintain a certain quality while arranging accommodation, which also cannot go further than a certain distance from the Kaaba, for the pilgrims, sources at the ministry said.

If the accommodation is five to six kilometers away from the Kaaba Sharif, the respective agencies will have to provide transportation, added the source.

The Bangladesh Hajj Council office in Saudi Arabia found that at least 103 agencies didn't provide any transportation for pilgrims although they rented hotels for them that were five to six kilometers away from the Kaaba Sharif.

In the show-cause notice issued on April 4, the ministry said legal actions would be taken if those agencies make poor arrangements and rent hotels far away from the Kaaba Sharif this year.

Even before, many hajj agencies used to promise to arrange better accommodation and food for intended pilgrims. They also used to promise pilgrims to keep them near Kaaba Sharif.

In both cases, the promises were not kept by most of the agencies as they were more interested to make money than to serve the pilgrims, Sheikh Mohammad Yasin, who performed hajj last year, told The Daily Star.